Nets Start Fast but Lose Momentum and the Game

Up and down the Nets’ fortunes have bobbed through the early part of this season. Good vibes have remained ephemeral. Success has been fleeting.

The Nets’ 108-98 defeat Monday to the Portland Trail Blazers, in this way, felt like a microcosm of their first 10 games. They shot out of the gates, exceeding their previous season-high point totals for a quarter and for a half, elating a sellout crowd at Barclays Center. Before the night was done, though, boos could be heard filtering from the rapidly shrinking audience, as the Nets (3-7) slunk to their fifth loss in six games.

After the buzzer, it was a quiet arena and an even quieter Nets locker room. Coach Jason Kidd tried to take sole responsibility for the loss, and since a majority of the players left without answering questions from reporters, no one could rebut his sentiment, as unlikely as it seemed.

“It’s just bad coaching,” Kidd said. “I take the blame for this.”

Deron Williams and Brook Lopez were both missing from the lineup while nursing sprained ankles. Andrei Kirilenko, the highest-paid reserve, has not played since Nov. 8 because of a back injury. Asked before the game if there was a timetable for their return, Kidd said, “No.”

Kidd said he should have found a way to keep his team’s early momentum going. Looking confident and dynamic through the first two quarters — including a 40-point effort in the first quarter — the Nets took a 7-point lead into the half. But they deflated during the third, shooting just 3 for 18 from the field. The Blazers shot 11 for 20 and outscored the Nets, 27-15, in the third.

“It’s the ebbs and flows of the game,” said Shaun Livingston, a lone bright spot for the Nets after scoring 23 points. “We came out hot. I think we had a good rhythm, good momentum. But you can go cold at any time of the game.”

Third quarters have been a reliable harbinger for how the Nets have performed. Entering Monday, they were undefeated when outscoring their opponents during the third quarter and winless when being outscored. It proved true again.

The Blazers opened the fourth on a 12-4 run, quieting the crowd and forcing the Nets to take a timeout. Minutes later, scattered boos — some of the first around Barclays Center this season — could be heard as the Nets slumped into another timeout, trailing by 12. During the next timeout, fans simply got up from their seats and left.

“They never lost confidence,” Blazers Coach Terry Stotts said of his players. “They never stopped competing.”

The Nets seemed to do just that. They shot 14 for 19 in their 40-point first quarter. It was their highest quarter total this year and the club’s highest first quarter since 2008.

Kevin Garnett was a rather unlikely offensive catalyst early. He made five straight midrange jump shots within the opening three minutes to score the Nets’ first 10 points. After he made a 10-footer, maintaining his perfect shooting start, he went to the bench hearing loud, appreciative applause.

Before Monday, the most points Garnett had scored in a game this season had been 8. And through his first eight games, he was shooting 30 percent from the field while averaging 8.8 attempts per game. But he cooled off considerably before the game’s end and finished with 16 points, shooting 8 for 19.

The Nets led by 63-56 at halftime after registering their biggest output for a half this season. But the Blazers erased the deficit quickly. It has not quite mattered whom the Nets have played. The ongoing gelling process within the team — as well as persistent injury problems — has produced a wildly variant performance level from one day to the next.

Paul Pierce and Garnett, who had minor injuries, were cleared to play right before tipoff. Pierce scored just 11 points, shooting 2 for 12. Joe Johnson and Reggie Evans rounded out the starting group, and the two combined to shoot 5 for 16.

The Nets’ locker room remained closed for several extra minutes after the game. Jason Terry — who was one of just three players, along with Livingston and the rookie Mason Plumee, to speak to reporters — said there was no organized meeting.

A version of this article appears in print on November 19, 2013, on page B16 of the New York edition with the headline: Nets Start Fast but Lose Momentum and the Game. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe